News

West Virginia House Bill 4958: Eliminating driver’s license suspension for failure to pay court fines and costs

This bill ends driver's license suspensions for unpaid fines and fees in West Virginia, and requires courts to develop uniform payment plans.

Virginia SB1: Driver’s license; suspension for nonpayment of fines or costs.

This bill ends driver’s license suspensions for unpaid fines and fees in Virginia and requires the Virginia DMV to reinstate suspended licenses.

Personal Narrative: Eric

Eric Snyder has had his license suspended since 2011 because of unpaid fines and fees. Without a license, he can't get a job to pay off this debt nor can he get on a payment plan.

Kansas v. Glover

Kansas v. Glover Issue: Does a police officer violate the Fourth Amendment by conducting an investigatory traffic stop based on an assumption that the driver of a vehicle is the registered …

Ethical Obligations of Judges in Collecting Legal Financial Obligations and Other Debts

This opinion from the American Bar Association addresses the obligations judges have to assess ability to pay when collecting fines and fees.

Fant et al. v. City of Ferguson

The City of Ferguson jails people when they cannot afford to pay their traffic debt and cash bonds for other minor offenses. No inquiry is made into the person’s ability to pay, no alternatives to payment are offered to the individuals, and no counsel is provided.

Maryland Senate Bill 234: Vehicle Laws – Suspension of Driver’s License or Registration – Unpaid Citations or Judgements

This bill repeals the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s authority to suspend a driver’s license and vehicle registration for unpaid traffic fines. The bill does not end driver’s license suspensions for unpaid criminal fines.

Driven to Failure: An Empirical Analysis of Driver’s License Suspension in North Carolina

Through the analysis of four decades of individual and county level suspension data, this study describes North Carolina’s population of drivers whose licenses have been suspended and assesses how driver’s …

New York Assembly Bill A7658A: Providing voice communication service to incarcerated people at no cost.

This bill would require New York to provide free calls for people incarcerated in jails and prisons. It forbids state and local agencies from generating revenue through communications services.

The Crippling Costs of the Juvenile Justice System: A Legal and Policy Argument for Elimination Fines and Fees for Youth Offenders

Across the country, youth and their families, many in poverty, face monetary charges for their involvement in the juvenile justice system, and the consequences can be devastating. In this article, …